Karnataka is on a warpath with Tamil Nadu on sharing of Cauvery water as the State on Monday approached the apex court to modify the order requiring it to daily release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
Mounting a defence, Tamil Nadu too approached the apex court with a request not to entertain the application of Karnataka until its neighbour complied with the order passed by the Court and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. Both applications are expected to be taken up on Tuesday, when the dispute related to water sharing is to be heard by Court.
Blaming it on less rains that has left the State parched this year, Karnataka argued that with drinking water itself in short supply, it was not in a position to spare water for irrigation purpose in Karnataka. Even a special Assembly session convened by the members of Karnataka legislative Assembly endorsed this decision.
The counsels appearing for Karnataka mentioned the application before a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, which posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday. Tamil Nadu too wasted no time and filed an application, stating, “The present is a case where the instrumentalities of the State in utter defiance to the constitutional mandate have failed to honour and obey the order passed by this court. It is reiterated that the State of Karnataka and its instrumentalities are bound to obey the order and the failure to do the same, amounts to recurring contempt of this court’s order dated September 20 and the earlier orders”.